1836.] 



and Derived Languages. 



moulding and arrangement of his ideas and periods, the more correct, 

 idiomatical and perspicuous, will be his style. 



7. The construction of the Tamul, Maleialam, Karnalaka and 

 Telugu (I think also that of the Konkanese and Orissa), is most strictly- 

 conformed to the rules of a genuine original language — as the 

 verb invariably concludes the sentence, and although many Sanscrit 

 words are found in these dialects, yet it is evident that, before the Brah- 

 mins gained any influence over these tribes, their dialects were gram- 

 matically formed and fixed, nor did the Brahminical tribe ever violently 

 interfere in their formation. 



The construction of the Sanscrit, German and Bohemian languages 

 (the latter is the only dialect of the Slavonic tribes with which I am 

 acquainted), although doubtless original languages, are not equally con- 

 sistent and strict in the arrangement of their words (e. g. the verb does 

 not conclude the sentence) and must have, in a certain degree, suffered 

 from the intermixture of other languages, as by close and frequent 

 intercourse with other tribes. In some such manner as we find in) 

 old German national poems of the year 1100 or 1200 A. D. until 1500, 

 instead of, mein B ruder (my brother), der B ruder mein (il fratellomio 

 &c. ; in consequence of the very frequent residence of the Germans in 

 Italy, when the heads of the Germanic empire were constantly chosen 

 Emperors of Rome. 



The construction of the Hebrew, Arabic and cognate Shemitic 

 tongues, being diametrically opposite to that of the just mentioned 

 languages, proves that these tongues are not original ; and the cause of 

 it is easily explicable, from the history of these tribes, as they were 

 always, particularly in the earlier periods, living quite intermixed with 

 other nations, and frequently subjugated by them ; their dialects must, 

 consequently, have suffered violence from the languages of their respec- 

 tive neighbours and conquerors. 



The Persian and Hindustani belong likewise to the class of derived 

 languages, although the construction of the latter, having principally 

 been fixed amongst Hindu nations, whose vernacular languages are 

 original, has, in a great measure, preserved the character of an origi- 

 nal language. 



8. From the foregoing observations it will appear, that it is not a 

 paradox to say that the Greek and Latin languages, although them- 

 selves mother-tongues, are derived languages ; and their construction, 

 being without any rule and consistency, is a stubborn proof that they 

 are so. 



It is, however, a remarkable fact that the Latin poets prefer putting, 

 as far as the fetters of the metre allow it, the genitive and the adjective 

 before the substantive to which they belong — strictly according to the 



